Title

Creator

Preview

Location

Approximately 1 mile from junction of U.S. 78 on S.C. Highway 182, Ridgeville

City

Ridgeville

County

Dorchester

Date of Founding

1794

Date of Photograph

1-1-2014

Description

Cypress is significant for its association with Francis Asbury, pioneer of American Methodism, and for its long, uninterrupted use as a site of revivalism. The campground is in the general shape of a rectangle of 34 cabins made of rough-hewn lumber. These structures, rectangular shaped, are generally 1½ stories and have earthen floors. The typical floor plan features a hall extending the length of the cabin, with as many as three rooms on the opposite side. The second story is accessible by a small stairway or ladder. In the center of the rectangle is the tabernacle, an open-sided wooden structure that is the focal point of these revival meetings. Serving crowds too large for church buildings or homes, the campground responded to both religious and social needs. Tents allowed people to stay overnight, and the campground term remained even though the tents were gradually replaced by the current rough-hewn cabins. Cypress Camp Ground was functional as early as 1794. In that year, Bishop Asbury recorded in his journal: “Sunday 19, Rode to Cypress, where I could not rest without giving them a little sermon.” Similar references are found in his journal in 1799, 1801 and 1803. Source: NRHP